y might not equal that of his last, which, he
understood, had just been produced in New York and had come off almost
at once.

Mr. HENRY ARTHUR JONES said that if any branch of art could effect
social transformations it was the drama. Personally he looked upon the
stage as only one degree less powerful than the Senate and vastly more
serious than the Church. Its first duty was to instruct, elevate and
reform; to amuse was never its true function. Hence, if the dramatists
of the country cared to take up the task of remedying the servant
shortage, the matter would be quickly settled. But only, added the
speaker with extreme gravity, if the authors of the pernicious rubbish
known as _revue_ were first gagged and bound.

Mr. MAX PEMBERTON said that, although he had given up _revue_ writing
in favour of transforming farcical plays, he felt that he might make
an appeal to the authors of _revue_ (who often exceeded the audience
in number) to join in this very laudable campaign. Speaking as one of
the two-and-twenty Hippodromios, although no longer in that capacity,
he would appeal to his successors to paint life below stairs in such
resplendent hues that the desire instantly to take service would be
implanted in every female bosom.

Mr. ALFRED SUTRO, speaking at the moment not so much as a dramatist as
a man without a cook, said that he agreed heartily with the sentiments
of the gentleman who had just sat down.

Sir ARTHUR WING PINERO said that he was always willing to help worthy
causes and was as ready to write a play for the object in view as, not
long since, he had been to write one to encourage economy. But it was
useless unless the company chosen would co-operate. The dramatist did
not stand alone. So long as the ordinary stage idea of a parlourmaid
was a saucy nymph with a feather brush and very short skirts, so long
would dramatists strive in vain to exalt her calling. He was prepared
to do his best, but feared that the actors' traditions would prove too
strong.

Mr. WALTER MELVILLE said that he hoped nothing would be done to tamper
with such traditions as Sir ARTHUR complained of. It was the duty of a
stage servant to begin plays and to be funny. The curtain of a farce
should rise on a butler and a parlourmaid remarking on the fact that
master was suspiciously late last night; and the butler should be
amorous, bibulous and peculative, and the parlourmaid coy and trim.
Similarly, footmen should be haughty and dro